Ipswich Town let a lead slip for a second week in a row as they fell to a 2-1 loss at Plymouth Argyle.

In a televised battle between two League One promotion-chasers, Ipswich led thanks to a Freddie Ladapo goal just before the end of a hugely entertaining first half, just shaded by the hosts.

But, just like at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend, Town couldn’t hold their advantage, with a Marcus Harness miss on the hour-mark feeling like a big moment as the Blues failed to take a chance to double their lead.

They were made to pay as first Norwich loanee Bali Mumba and then the impressive Morgan Whittaker lashing in from outside the box to turn the game on its head.

Ipswich came so close to an equaliser, deep into stoppage time, when Christian Walton went up for a corner at the death and looped an excellent header against the crossbar, before Tyreece John-Jules follow-up was bundled wide.

There was to be no way back for Ipswich, though, as Argyle claimed three points which sees them take over at the top of the table and Town slip to second, heading into next weekend’s home clash with third-placed Portsmouth.

Boss Kieran McKenna made two changes to the side which drew 2-2 with Wednesday in the Blues’ last League One game, with Kayden Jackson given the nod to replace Wes Burns down the right flank.

Jackson had lined up as the left-sided attacking midfielder at Hillsborough, with Harness returning to the side to take that role and Ladapo replacing John-Jules as the central striker.

Former Ipswich Town player-of-the-year, James Wilson, returned to the starting line-up for the hosts and was busy inside the opening couple of minutes, as Ipswich probed down the Plymouth right.

The first Town chance fell to Luke Woolfenden, who scissor-kicked into the hands of Michael Cooper after Leif Davis’s free-kick had drifted all the way through to him, before Plymouth worked their way into two good attacking positions.

The first needed George Edmundson to intervene and clear over the top of his own bar, as Danny Mayor’s low cross looked for Niall Ennis, before the following corner resulted in Wilson heading over the top of the bar.

A clever Lee Evans ball was able to free Jackson for the first time, with the forward doing well to out-muscle Mumba and deliver a cross through the box which couldn’t find an Ipswich man, before Ladapo had a shot deflected wide and then headed the resulting corner straight at keeper Cooper.

His opposite number, Walton, was called into real action for the first time on 15 minutes, with the Town stopper lightning off his line to gather the ball at the feet of Matt Butcher, after a clever Argyle move had freed the midfielder to run into the box.

The end-to-end game continued, with Ladapo slipped through and able to shoot, with Cooper snuffing out the shot, before another one-touch move saw Plymouth slice through the Ipswich backline, this time allowing Adam Randell to shoot across the face of Walton’s goal.

The Town keeper needed to beat Whittaker’s shot away a few seconds later, before the following corner saw Dan Scarr turn a shot towards Walton’s net. It was easily held, though.

He was needed again to stop Ennis, who was played through by the impressive Whittaker, as the hosts cause trouble with clever passages of play on the edge of the Ipswich box.

Town were still threatening, though, with Conor Chaplin cleverly taking a quick free-kick on halfway and freeing Davis down the left. The defender’s cross landed at the feet of Ladapo, who was able to take a touch and shoot, with the ball bouncing back to him, before a lay-off to Morsy saw the skipper put in a shot which was plucked out of the air by Cooper.

The next Ipswich effort did find the net, though, as Morsy’s block on halfway bounced all the way through to the Ipswich striker, who was able to let off a shot which deflected up and into the back of the net.

That gave Ipswich the lead at the break, in a game the hosts probably had shaded, before both teams returned for the second half with the same 11 players they began the first with.

Ipswich’s first shot of the second half fell to Janoi Donacien, who had a rare whiff of a goal from the edge of the box as he met Morsy’s pull-back. Sadly his effort was blocked by Nigel Lonwijk.

The end-to-end nature of this game continued as Whittaker superbly controlled a ball into danger from Danny Mayor, before shooting an inch or two wide of Walton’s far post.

Harness had a big chance to double Ipswich’s lead when he was fed by Chaplin, only to put his shot wide with what was his final act before being replaced by John-Jules. The miss felt like a big moment.

Vincent-Young also replaced Ladapo as the visitors made a double change, with John-Jules quickly involved and having a shot saved by Cooper at the near post.

The home supporters ramped themselves up a notch and were soon cheering their side’s equaliser, as Mumba landed on a loose ball on the edge of the box and superbly fired into the back of Walton’s net.

The Town keeper kept things level with a stop from Whittaker, as Plymouth broke a few minutes later, with Wilson again heading wide from the resulting corner, but was beaten again soon.

Whittaker had been threatening all afternoon and was rewarded when he rifled an excellent shot, left-footed, past Walton to give his side the advantage, after Edmundson had coughed up possession on the edge of the Ipswich box.

McKenna responded by introducing Kyle Edwards and Gassan Ahadme, in place of Davis and Chaplin, but there was ultimately no way back into the game as the Blues fell to defeat at Home Park.

Town did have one last chance, deep into stoppage time, when Walton came forward and met an Evans corner, looping his header against the bar before the Blues fell to defeat.

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE (3-4-2-1): Cooper; Wilson, Scarr, Lonwijk (Gillesphey 90+); Edwards (cpt), Randell, Butcher (Houghton 61), Mumba; Whittaker (Grant 90+), Mayor (Cosgrove 61); Ennis (Jenkins Davies 83).

Subs: Burton, Hardie.

IPSWICH TOWN (4-2-3-1): Walton; Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Davis (Edwards 81); Evans, Morsy (cpt); Jackson, Chaplin (Ahadme 81), Harness (John-Jules 59); Ladapo (Vincent-Young 59).

Subs: Hladky, Keogh, Ball.

Booked: Harness (21), Morsy (22), Edmundson (66), Evans (71).

Referee: Scott Oldham.

Attendance: 15,480.